Waiting for the World to End
by Jendra
Summary: It's the start of a new school year and Severus Snape is waiting for the world to end. (Slight hints of past SS/JP)
1. Default Chapter

Waiting for the World to End   
by Jendra  
  
Severus Slayton Snape, Potions Master, Potions teacher and Head  
of Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
waited for the world to end. That the events of but minutes ago   
were foreshadowings of an apocalypse were obvious to even one   
with no ability at foreSeeing at all.   
  
It was true that there were other possible explanations. Perhaps  
someone had spiked the pumpkin juice with a hallucinogen of some  
description. However, both his nose and taste buds were too well  
educated not to react to the slightest hint of such and the idea   
that it could be slipped by him was truthfully absurd.  
  
There was the chance that he was dreaming, but where in his psyche  
could such an absurd idea have been hiding? His dreams were  
usually nightmares of Voldemort and his time as a Death Eater, never  
as outright insane as this.  
  
That led him to the next possibility. Perhaps years of trying to force  
some modicum of knowledge and interest of potions into heads filled  
to the brim with clothes, sex, love and glamour spells had finally sent  
him over the edge. Still, he'd always expected that if his mind ever  
did snap it would lead to mass cursings and large explosions. Not  
this... this... whatever this was.  
  
It had all started only an hour or so ago. The first years had come in  
with their wide eyed, vapid expressions. That ludicrous hat had been  
brought out to sing its inane song... then Dumbledore had stood up to  
speak and the world had begun to tilt on its axis.  
  
*~@~*  
  
"My dear students. Over the summer, I did some research into our  
delightful Sorting Hat. While doing so, I ran into some very  
interesting information. It seems that there have been times when  
Headmasters, for one reason or another felt the need to add certain  
spells to the hat. These spells were perhaps for the best at the time,  
making sure certain families got into certain Houses or were kept  
away from others who their families might have had a feud on at the  
time. Also, on occasion, the students themselves were allowed to  
influence the Hat towards or away from certain Houses. I decided to  
take us back to what the Founder's themselves wanted, so I have  
removed these spells from the Hat so it can give a firm, unprejudiced  
House selection.   
  
"I am not requiring any students to be reSorted. However, if you feel  
that you are not, perhaps, in the House that would suit you best, then  
feel free to stand up and try it again. Perhaps you just want to make  
absolutely sure that you were in the right House to begin with.   
Understand, however, that going under the Sorting Hat will not  
necessarily change anything. Also, if you do decide to try, where you  
are put is where you will stay. I will give you a couple of minutes to  
think about it. If you decide to be reSorted, please step up behind  
our patient first years."  
  
Severus sighed. He did not think that this had been a good idea.   
Unfortunately, Dumbledore had passed it through as a fait accompli,  
leaving nothing for him to do. He looked over his table. Most of his  
students were smirking around at the other tables. They knew where  
they belonged and had no need to be told that twice. One however,  
was looking up at him with a slight pleading expression on her face.   
He nodded back calmly. He never *had* understood why she had been   
put into Slytherin in the first place. He watched as she joined  
the small number of other students behind the first years.  
  
A commotion at the Gryffindor table caused him to look over there  
and groan. Of course. The Weasley twins. They probably looked  
at this as some big lark or opportunity for mischief.   
  
Dragging his attention away from his problem students he allowed his  
gaze to settle coldly on the first years waiting impatiently to be  
Sorted. It didn't look like there was a brain in the lot. Well, that  
wasn't entirely true. The boy with the pale blond hair, that had to be  
Draco Malfoy. No doubt where he was going anyways. And flanking him...   
Crabbe and Goyle, just like their fathers had flanked Malfoy Senior.   
No doubts about them either. He did at least hope they had a modicum   
more intelligence than their fathers, though by the looks on their   
oafish faces, it didn't seem likely. Hmm, a Parkinson. Hopefully,   
she would live up to her sister's reputation.  
  
A flash of red caught his eye. Oh wonderful, he groaned to himself,  
another Weasley. Straight into Gryffindor that one. And next to  
him... his breath caught in his throat. James. He hardened his  
expression and his heart. No, not James. Harry. The Boy-Who-  
Lived... and looked just like his father had at that age. Except   
for the eyes. A glimpse of bright green under round glasses.   
Lily's eyes. Lily, who had stolen his James away from him and   
given him the child that Severus couldn't. No doubt where he would   
be going, a true Gryffindor through and through undoubtedly. At   
least that would give him a good reason to hate the boy. It's not   
like anyone would know what the actual truth was.  
  
Finally! Dumbledore was standing. It was more than time to get this  
over with. The Sorting had finally started.  
  
@~*~@  
  
The Sorting was over and Severus was waiting for the world to end.   
His dazed eyes took in the changes. Vincent Crabbe and Pansy  
Parkinson had ended up in Slytherin, yes. But Gregory Goyle in  
Hufflepuff?! And if that wasn't bad enough. Draco Malfoy. Only  
son and heir to *Lucius* Malfoy... was in Ravenclaw! The first  
Malfoy in twenty or more generations to *not* be in Slytherin.   
Lucius was going to be extremely disappointed, though at least his  
son didn't end up in Hufflepuff, or even worse, Gryffindor.  
  
As for Gryffindor, not only did they *not* get the newest Weasley,  
(who ended up in Hufflepuff!) but they lost the Weasley twins as well.   
And *he* got them! Fred and George Weasley, two of the banes of  
his existence, in Slytherin! And to put the topper on an extremely  
bad day, Harry Potter, *the* Harry Potter, the hope of the Wizarding  
world... was in his House.  
  
The world had to be coming to an end. It just had too. Because he  
wasn't entirely sure he wanted to live in this one. 


	2. Author's note

Hey ^_^ I realised after I posted that I left out quite a few things  
from my story, so let's get too them.  
  
1. I don't own any of the characters in this story. I'm not J.K.   
Rowlings, nor am I any of the other people with permission to use these   
characters. I just like them a lot ^_^.  
  
2. 'Waiting' is a single part story, not the beginning of a longer   
one. I've got a long one that I'm currently working on, and two is   
just a bit too much (well, three actually, since I'm working on a   
Yu-Gi-Oh fic too). If anyone else wishes to use this as a starting   
point, more power to you ^_^.  
  
3. I had someone complain that you couldn't post anonymous reviews.   
I don't know why. I unchecked the box when I first set my settings.   
Maybe it was because I didn't do that until *after* I posted this   
story? If anyone knows, I'd appreciate a heads up.   
  
*It looks like that is the problem, anonymous reviews are possible   
on this chapter*  
  
4. Finally, I'd like to thank the three of you that have reviewed   
already. I really appreciate it ^_^.  
  
Jendra 


End file.
